The first and only agricultural museum in Illinois has launched a new website and announced a $2 million building fundraising campaign.

“The Midwest Agricultural Museum is dedicated to preserving and educating the public about the history and impact of agriculture on human life,” said Chris McMillen, of Toulon, chairman of the museum’s board of directors. “The new website at midwestagmuseum.com allows donors to contribute directly online toward building a permanent facility for the museum’s rapidly expanding collection. It also gives people a convenient and secure way to become members or renew their memberships,” McMillen said.

The growing collection includes tools and equipment, historic films and photos, invention designs and prototypes, educational materials and relevant memorabilia. It also showcases many of the agricultural innovations that originated in the Midwest in the 1840s at the height of the Industrial Revolution.

A search committee is investigating several sites on major highways to enhance visibility of the museum. Farmland is especially sought so visitors can see how tools, equipment and techniques were — and are — used on a working farm.

The farm’s production would also provide income toward the museum’s sustainability.

The Midwest Agricultural Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of how agriculture has affected — and continues to affect — human history. The only agricultural museum in Illinois, the museum’s collection includes many inventions and innovations that originated in the Midwest. For more information, visit midwestagmuseum.com.